For transplanting cornea onto a patient""s eye a circular transplant is prepared. The cornea of the patient""s eye is marked with a circle and cut along that circle with special scissors. The cut out circular piece is removed. The transplant is then inserted and sown to the remaining cornea.
It is an object of the present invention to increase the safety and accuracy of the transplanting operation and to reduce its length. This object and others which will become apparent as the description progresses is achieved by the present invention, which, briefly stated, concerns a device for transplanting a cornea on a patient""s eye. The device comprises a tubular housing having an axis and comprising a suction ring on its lower end face with an annular recess communicating with a connector for connection to a suction pump. The housing has first stop means and second stop means. A tubular insert is mounted in the housing for rotation around the axis and axially displaceable. The insert has a third stop means cooperating with the first stop means for defining an extended position of the insert and a fourth stop means coacting with the second stop means for defining a retracted position of the insert. The insert further has a micrometer female thread. A tubular knife holder with a knife for cutting a circular cut into the cornea is mounted in the insert. The knife holder has a micrometer male thread threaded into the female thread and a head. A scale and a marking on the head and on the insert are provided for preselecting a depth of the cut in the extended position of the insert.